How Jan Lost 109 Pounds at 82 Years Old Eating Potatoes

Think you’re “too old” to lose weight and keep it off, especially in a healthy way?

Ninety percent of my clients are in their 60s, 70s and 80s Shedding Pounds Sustainably (woo hoo!).  

I just interviewed one of my most inspiring clients who at 82 years old, has lost 109 pounds in 65 weeks! And she ate potatoes — in unlimited amounts, to do just that! (and a whole bunch of other yummy, optimal food too like corn, rice and sweet potatoes!).

Jan Belluchi, of West Des Moines, Iowa, is a powerful example of resilience, determination and also what believing in yourself looks like amongst a challenge.

Jan came to me after having gained a lot of weight during the COVID shut-down. She had become immobile during that time and was getting around using a motorized wheelchair. She was on a handful of medications for arthritis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and more.  

She wanted to walk again. That was her #1 goal.

Well, within 8 weeks of eating optimally, Jan got off a blood pressure medication, but look at EVERYTHING she’s accomplished over 65 weeks of eating optimally…

Jan…

• Lost 109 lbs in 65 weeks eating optimally (she was down 100 pounds in exactly one year!) No pills, products, shakes, bars, measuring or weighing! WOO HOO! 

• Can walk with her walker again and is working on walking independently!

• Eliminated a blood pressure medications within the first 10 weeks

• Reduced her A1C level to normal and is no longer pre-diabetic.

• Eliminated arthritis medicine because she wasn’t in pain anymore.

• Improved her kidney disease: went from stage 3b kidney disease to stage stage 2.

• Eliminated her cholesterol medication.

• Reduced her sleeping medication.

• Is exercising again! She’s going to the gym regularly again and is swimming too! Jan says in our interview “the other day I went swimming and my swimming suit kept falling off! The last time that I went it was too tight!”

• Is eating food she likes and she’s able to go out to eat with her friends and find optimal meals she enjoys.

• Is less dependent on other people.

• Can now take care of her cats without help.

To quote Jan…

“I thought if I lost some weight, that would help. I tried everything else so why not. I saw Trisha’s ad and I decided “let’s invest in myself,” and I did that. And now I can walk with my walker. And I'm trying to learn to walk by myself. And I think I'm going to be able to do that pretty soon.” - Jan Belluchi, 82 years old

I’m so proud of Jan especially for taking another chance on herself because looked what happened.

Now I’d love to hear from you…

What inspires you most about Jan’s story?
Comment below.

Watch even more successes of women 60+ eating optimally and Shedding Pounds Sustainably here.

How Sharon Eliminated Three Meds in Three Weeks Eating Optimally

Sharon Faulkenberry came to me feeling really hopeless about her health.  At 64 years old, she has diabetes and had already done gastric bypass surgery but it didn’t work long-term.  She had no energy to walk anymore, plus she struggled with knee pain and she’d get out of breath doing simple life tasks.  

She was about to quit trying to help herself because she’d tried SO many things to lose weight and feel better.  And now the doctor wanted to put her on ANOTHER medication and she did not want that.  She was at her wits end.  

Then, Sharon did something that changed everything for her…

Sharon talked to me, Nutritionist, Trisha Mandes for an hour on Zoom.  Her husband Bill joined as well (which I love!).

After chatting to Sharon for 45 minutes, I let her know what was possible for her health and how exactly I could take her there.

She took a leap of faith and hired me as her personal Nutritionist to teach her how to eat optimally and create a lasting lifestyle change tailored to her diagnosis, taste buds and lifestyle. 

Here’s what happened in just her first THREE WEEKS!

Side note: optimal food is so therapeutic that the below results she achieved isn’t just because she lost 8 pounds in 3 weeks.  It’s a direct result of the therapeutic effects of the food…  

After just 3 weeks of eating optimally with me by her side, Sharon…

❤️ Eliminated three medications in less than 3 weeks! Two for diabetes and one blood pressure medication!
❤️ Shed 8 pounds and her husband lost 5!
❤️ Has a high energy level again. She’s walking almost daily again and isn’t just sitting around anymore.
❤️ Is able to come home after a long day and isn’t tired. She’s fully energized, and able to stay up later.
❤️ Is no longer out of breath and can polish her toe nails again! 
❤️ Able to clean the whole house in 3 hours instead of taking her the whole day while having to sit and take breaks.
❤️ No pain in her knees anymore! She doesn't have to pull herself up off the toilet or need the railing when going down the stairs anymore!
❤️ Friends are noticing her weight loss and saying she’s glowing! 

To quote Sharon from our interview…

“My husband says he doesn't understand how this optimal eating has given us so much energy - we can do anything!  Any time I’ve tried a diet in the past, my husband was against it, but not with optimal eating - he loves it!”

I’m so proud of Sharon for not giving up on herself and asking for help.  I’m so glad she did!  And so is her husband Bill!

Optimal eating works quickly and not just for weight loss, but even faster for many multiple health conditions.  I hope that gives you faith.  What you want is possible!

TAKE CONTROL NOW

Comment below and tell me… what part of Sharon’s story resonates with you?  What’s the greatest take away you took from her interview?

I would love to chat with you too to let you know what results are possible for you based on your unique situation (and tastebuds!).  Schedule a time to chat with me, just like Sharon first did, here.  

Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos with Corn and Pico De Gallo Recipe

From Nutritionist, Trisha Mandes, MPHN

Even though this recipe is vegan, plant-based, oil-free and gluten-free, you’d never know.  It’s 100% optimal and a crowd-pleaser, just the way we like it!

Total cook time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients

• Two small-medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 ears of corn or 1 can of corn, rinse and drained 

• Corn tortillas (I love this brand but any corn tortilla you like is fine)

Pico de gallo ingredients (or buy store bought pico de gallo or salsa to use instead)

• 1 tomato, diced

• 1/4 red onion, finely diced

• 1 jalapeño finely diced 

• Juice of one lime

• Cilantro (handful)

• Fresh chives finely diced (optional)

• Salt 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Toss diced sweet potato in a large mixing bowl with Cajun seasoning and salt.

3. Place sweet potato on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat. 

4. Bake in oven until soft (about 15-20 mins).

5. Add all pico de gallo ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix, taste and adjust accordingly.

6. Heat beans and corn in a small saucepan on the stove top until warm. If using corn on the cob, cut the corn off the cob.

7. Heat the tortillas. I prefer to put my electric stove burner to medium and place the tortilla right on top and flip it once it starts to slightly brown (about one minute).  Or, you can heat them up on a pan on the stove top.

8. Assemble your tacos. Use a spoon to place beans and corn mix on the taco, then sweet potato, and then the pico de gallo (with a little bit of the juice from it) on top.

Notes:

• You can use store bought pico de gallo or salsa to make this recipe even quicker.

• Canned or frozen corn can replace the fresh corn.

• Knowing how to use a chef’s knife and knife cuts can make cooking so much faster.  Learn learn how to cut an onion here.

Learn more about how to Shed Pounds Sustainably with Nutritionist, Trisha Mandes, MPHN by watching her one hour training here or schedule a time to chat with her here to see if/how she can help you Shed Pounds Sustainably.

Take Control Now!

Comment below…what would you add to this taco to make it more delicious for you and your family?

How Craig and Sari Ness Lost 52 Pounds Together in 10 Weeks

Have you ever had a spiritual moment and you feel like something greater than yourself is at play?  I felt that way when Craig Ness, the Director of the TV show Making It Grow drove me (unexpectedly) to the airport in April…

I was on his Public Television Show ‘Making It Grow’ to film two cooking segments.  As the Director, he watched (and worked) live as we filmed.  Once we finished filming (that’s a wrap!), my original ride to the airport asked Craig (whom I had just met) to take me instead.  The airport was on Craig’s way from Sumter, to his home in Lexington, South Carolina.   

The most beautiful thing happened on that car ride (that was never supposed to happen!)...

Craig, on his own accord, started opening up about his health and weight concerns.  He was concerned with 75+ pounds of weight, medications, and a lack of energy (he couldn’t mow his grass anymore).  He was worried about being able to be around for a long-time for this son (and fingers crossed, grandchild one day).

We chatted about his concerns, goals, what he’d tried before and his health history for an hour straight.  One week later, from that car ride, Craig and his wife hired me as their Nutritionist.  Well, it’s been ten weeks since they did and WOW, just WOW look at this…

Craig and Sari have lost 52 pounds together as a couple in 10 weeks! A-MAZING!  

Watch Craig and Sari Ness’ interview here…

They lost 52 pounds together in 10 weeks from eating optimally.  There was NO counting, weighing or measuring of food.  There was no “weight loss” pill, product or shot they had to buy.  

They learned an effective lifestyle change where they were told to EAT and to EAT more food – optimal food, that they liked or loved.  No need to eat anything they didn’t like.

Here’s even more health results Craig and Sari achieved in 10 weeks (and as I tell them, this is just the beginning!)...

Craig:

• Lost 30 pounds without counting, weighing or measuring food and there’s no buying any weight loss pills, shots or products.  He ate food that filled him up and supported his health!

• Regained his energy, improved his self esteem, and his ability to be active (more workouts!)

• His clothes keep getting smaller! Lol even his shirt in the video!

Sari:

• Lost 22 pounds in 9.5 weeks (woo hoo!)

• Loves to dance and can do 30 minute Zumba classes again! She’s shocked she’s looking forward to exercising now!  She wouldn’t have believed that 10 weeks ago.

• She’s less critical of herself and is learning how to stop negative thoughts and turn her mentality around to help herself,

Craig and Sari’s favorite weekend meal – optimal whole-grain waffles with maple syrup 🙂

Craig said in our interview…  

“I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel because I'm shedding the weight, exercising, and I'm regaining that energy that I've lacked.” 

What a blessing and a miracle meeting and working with these two have been 🩷

Want to see if having me as your Nutritionist can help you Shed Pounds Sustainably too?  Schedule a time to chat with me here.  We’ll chat like I did with Craig for an hour before he hired me (lol just not in a car driving to the airport!). Schedule a time here. 

TAKE CONTROL NOW

What resonates with or inspires you the most in Craig and Sari’s interview?  Comment below.

In Your Corner,

Trish

Easy Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies from Making It Grow

I had the honor of flying to South Carolina to film two cooking segments on the Public Television show Making It Grow.  I adore this show (they teach you all about plants!).  I LOVE to cook plants and help people Shed Pounds Sustainably by eating A LOT of them (without counting, weighing or measuring!).

On this segment, I show you how to make Easy Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies.

Here’s why you want to watch…

• These cookies are SO easy and simple. 

• My favorite part – before these are cookies, it’s just oatmeal from the microwave!  So, it’s actually two recipes in one! 

• Once the microwaved oatmeal is done, you can eat it as is or bake it as bars or cookies!

Click play below to watch the episode and keep scrolling for the recipe! My segment starts at 16:51 (if you don’t want to watch the whole hour show although I do recommend it — especially if you like gardening!).

Onto the recipe…

Easy Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies  

By: Nutritionist, Trisha Mandes, MPHN

Ingredients

• 1 cup regular rolled oats

• 1 cup banana sliced (about one large banana)

• ¼-½ cup blueberries (frozen or fresh!)

• 3 TB maple syrup OR date syrup

• Cinnamon

• Water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Put 1 cup of rolled oats into shallow dish or bowl

3. Add the sliced banana and blueberries to the bowl

4. Coat up to the top of mixture with water so top of ingredients are covered and moistened

5. Microwave mixture for 2-3 minutes to soften. Add more water if needed

6. Use fork to smash up fruit to release juices to sweeten dish

7. Add maple syrup and cinnamon on top

8. Mix all ingredients together

9. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

10. Use a spoon full of ingredients to form cookies

11. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes 

12. Let cool before serving 

These are excellent as a mini-meal (a snack), for breakfast or a daily dessert.

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Interested in seeing if/how Trisha can help you Shed Pounds Sustainably even if you can’t exercise or have additional health concerns? Schedule a time to chat with her here. She’d love to talk to see if she can help you Shed Pounds Sustainably just like her clients.

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Take Control Now

Comment below and share… would you make these cookies!?